


Condolences

by SourWolf



Series: Lessons Learned [1]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M, Past, Prequel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-03-30
Updated: 2012-03-29
Packaged: 2017-11-02 17:48:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/371701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SourWolf/pseuds/SourWolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Set long before the show: The Hale family offers their condolences for the loss of Mrs. Stilinski and offer to support Mr. Stilinski in his campaign for sheriff of Beacon Hills. Derek meets Stiles for the first time, and learns a lesson that makes his father proud.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Condolences

I hated getting dragged to these things. What was the point of having to fake emotions for people you don’t even know? This is even worse. Here I have to play so many roles: happy yet sad, distraught yet hopeful, vulnerable but strong enough to offer support. Who were the Stilinkis and why did they matter to my parents anyway? They never stopped by. They weren’t like us. They didn’t know who or what we were.

Yet here we were, at the funeral of Ms. Stilinski, a woman that was a stranger to me. Here, in the small chapel of one of the few churches in the small town of Beacon Hills. Here, in the building that stunk of embalming fluid masked by the scent of perfume, of fresh flowers, of the distinct smell of sorrow, bitterness, and hopelessness. Here, in the building that still seemed to resound with the lamenting hymns drowned out now by hushed whispers, footsteps made by black shoes, and the sobs of a young boy.

My feet followed my father’s, followed Laura’s towards the sound of the sobs. We stopped near him. I was the closest to him. He sat curled on a pew made of pinewood, his feet on the edge of the thin, red cushion so that he could bury his face in his knees. Long brown tresses hid his face, but it didn’t take superhuman senses to detect the muffled sound of his sobs or the shake of his shoulders.

“Mister Stilinski, the Hale family gives its condolences.” My father’s strong voice rang out. It drew my from my thoughts and my gaze turned to the man my father words were meant to console. “If you need anything, you’re always welcome to stop by. We would be honored to give you a hand in your time of need.”

The man wasn’t incredibly tall or outwardly strong, but he did command a certain level of respect. It was the sort of respect that was earned through hard work, the kind that demanded nothing but equality of those around him. His eyes were bloodshot and still puffy from his most recently shed tears. “Thank you. I’m glad you came. I know it would have meant a lot to her.”

He shook my father’s hand as well as my own before he found himself enveloped in Laura’s hug. Her warmth visibly spread to the policeman. He stance relaxed when Laura pulled away and his shoulders regained some strength.

“I understand that it is the last thing on your mind right now, but I want you to know that we are contributing to your campaign. The sheriff position will be a good way to move forward.” My father said, giving the widower something else to focus on.

While my father and Mr. Stilinski talked business, I sat next to the crying boy. It took him a few minutes to even notice that I was there. When he did, he sat up, sniffled, and shrunk away from me. I didn’t understand the reaction, but I made no move to advance or retreat. I sat there until he seemed to relax a little.

“Let’s go outside.” I said, tired of hearing the boy cry and even more tired of being trapped in the death-scented chapel, but I tried to think that as quietly as possible. After all, the smell was this kid’s mother.

He opened his mouth to speak but only managed a whimper before he fell back and wiped the tears away from his face quickly. I took it to mean a yes and once his face was free of tears and snot, we got to our feet and walked outside.

“I’m Genim.” He introduced, his voice weak and shaky.

“Derek.” I replied, stopping to lean against the wooden railing outside the chapel. “Aren’t you always with that other kid? This seems like something he shouldn’t miss.”

“Its not his fault.” The boy said defensively, his hands curling into fists as though a little kid were going to be able to stand up to me. To put it simply, I was over a foot taller than him and starting to fill out while he was small, scrawny, and still very much a boy.

“I didn’t say it was.” I reminded, hoping to diffuse the situation. The last thing I needed to do was get into a fight with the boy who had just lost his mother, the son of a policeman with whom my father was trying to build a working relationship.

He relaxed, seeming to trust that I hadn’t meant anything by the comment. “His dad sent him to camp for the summer. He won’t be back for another two weeks. I wanted to go, but our dads said it was best that I stayed here.”

I nodded, wondering if anyone could have possibly foreseen what happened to his mother. “So, what do you two normally do?”

Genim smiled then, as though he was certain that his answer would impress the older boy. “Well, before he left, we snuck out and went into the woods. I almost managed to grab dad’s whiskey, but I heard someone moving around upstairs so I figured it would be best if I left it.”

My brow rose. It was something that could impress an older boy. He would have succeeded if that boy had been anyone but me. “It’s dangerous, you know. There’s no telling what you could have run into out there at night. And alcohol would only stunt your growth. You don’t want to be that tiny forever, do you?” I chastised calmly. Laura always said that I tried to be too mature for my age and that I always made myself shoulder too great a burden.

He seemed hurt at this, like he realized he had no idea what to say that might impress me now. “I’m not that small.” He settled on at last, crossing his arms over his chest and wearing an indignant face.

“I guess not.” I said, giving in to wipe that look off his face. It worked. His puffy eyes brightened up and a grin tugged at his lips like I just told him that he was the spitting image of Adonis or something. “You went out into the woods. Any good at climbing trees?” I asked as my eyes settled on the old oak tree outside the church. It had thick bows reaching towards the sun and enough knots that climbing seemed a good option even for a boy Genim’s size.

Apparently the confidence boost he got from the compliment, if it could really be called that, was more than enough to renew his confidence. He took off towards the tree. “No fair!” He called as I easily overtook him. I got a running leap into the tree, my foot landing on a knot that allowed me to keep my momentum as I pulled myself up onto a branch.

I was perched on the branch; my shiny black patent leather shoes clearly contrasting the texture of the bark greened by moss. Genim didn’t have the coordination or the strength to pull off what I had done. I watched from my post, squatting down on my branch so that I wouldn’t get my suit dirty, as he attempted to get the same running start. He smacked into the tree and let out a groan of pain. But he didn’t give up. He even refused my hand when I offered it. Instead, he struggled up the tree on his own, pulling himself onto a branch that was just far enough above mine that he could smile down at me like he had accomplished some great feat.

“Not bad.” I said, which only served to improve his already brightening demeanor.

“Derek. Where are you?” Laura’s voice called to me. I heard her getting closer and jumped from my branch, landing squarely on my feet and brushing off any debris from my suit before Laura swooped in and finished the job, straightened my jacket, and fixed my tie. “There you are. Dad is looking for you. Its time to go.” She said, giving me a smile. She always loved it when I would be doing something normal for a boy my age.

I turned and looked up at Genim who was too busy trying to figure out if jumping down would go as easily for him as it had for me to notice that he had gained the attention of both Laura and myself. My sister moved to the tree and held her arms out to the younger boy. “Come on. Your dad’s looking for you too.” Laura said, flashing one of those winning smiles at Genim.

He smiled at my sister and jumped into her arms, letting her dust the leaves, moss, and bits of bark he collected during his climb. He even managed a giggle as she wiped at his sides. We all walked together back into the chapel, Genim in the middle.

My father decided that it would be good practice for Laura to drive them home, but it was a way of freeing himself up to talk to me. “That was a good thing you did, Derek.” He complimented, his warm, brown eyes locked on me in a steady stare.

I shrugged in reply, a little grin tugging on my lips. “I just wanted to get out of the chapel. It smelled horrible.” I explained nonchalantly. It took me a while to realize what my father was really trying to get at by complimenting me. My father gave a knowing smile, nodding his head a bit. He told Laura to go to my favorite restaurant so that we could get food for the family, a reward that I wasn’t even aware at the time I had earned. The meal that would go to feed the full house waiting at home would instead be given to the Stilinski family. It would be enough to feed them for a couple weeks if properly divided, which the Hale family would of course do for the policeman and his son.

In time, I learned that going to the funeral wasn’t just about keeping up a façade. It wasn’t just us trying to put Mr. Stilinski in the sheriff’s position so that we would have an ally. There was a lesson our father expected us to learn from that day. We, as a pack, are strong. Of course, every wolf knows that. But that wasn’t the entirety of the lesson. I was rewarded because, without even catching on, I had acted on the nuances that my father was trying to present.

Yes, as a pack we were strong. Yes, alone we were still stronger than multiple humans. But power doesn’t go unused. My father was trying to show me that our power should be more than a force of destruction. Because we were in a pack we were strong, and that strength was more than we needed for ourselves. As such, it was only proper that we give of ourselves in service of those who needed the help.

This was the motivation of my father, acting on behalf of the pack as its alpha, in both offering condolences for the loss of Ms. Stilinski and in backing Mr. Stilinski in running for sheriff both financially and politically. Not only would we pay for the production of signs, fliers, and anything else he needed, but every member of the pack of voting age would be expected to join my father in voting for Mr. Stilinski as an act of unity and good will.

That compliment that I had received was for going out of my way for the Mr. Stilinski’s son. He was weak, he was suffering, and I gained nothing in helping him except for the small piece of mind gained in quieting his sobs. Despite this, I went out of my way to give him some relief from his pain, however small that relief might have been. I showed mercy and compassion, the qualities that my father hoped to see in the boy that was meant to one day take his place as alpha, even though the situation required no action on my part.

After that, I was busy forcing myself into the role as alpha, something that Laura always chastised me for. It wasn’t for a long time that I had cause to speak to that boy again.


End file.
